Tears of the Kingdom

So, we decided to round up some of the biggest and most thought-provoking fan theories we've found so far. Again, none of this is confirmed news, but it's a ...

Needless to say, there’s still so much we don’t know about the Breath of the Wild sequel. Also, people have [pointed out that the design of Midna](https://youtu.be/ClTNVq6I7Ko?t=2607), who accompanies Link in Twilight Princess, looks similar to that of the new stone monster we see in the trailer. In the trailer, Link appears to use some sort of time travel power to push a spiked ball back up a hill. Besides those visual similarities, there’s a also bit of lore in Breath of the Wild that may support this theory. Probably the most prevalent unconfirmed theory is that we won’t play Breath of the Wild 2 as Link. Once again, this theory sort of hinges on the fact that we don’t know with 100 percent certainty that we play as Link, since we don’t see his face. Amber Relics are a resource found throughout the Surface in Skyward Sword. They are referred to as the Zonai, but we don’t know much about them other than that they made some of the Hylian landmarks seen in the game, like the dragon carvings and some of the ancient architecture. [The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.](https://www.polygon.com/game/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword/1825) The opening cinematic of Link from the trailer is pretty much the same exact scene of Link falling through the clouds in Skyward Sword. However, from the character’s design — they wear a tunic that covers half their chest — we can assume that the character we see isn’t Zelda. The idea is supported mainly by the visual similarities between Ganon and the character in the trailer, who wears a one-shoulder tunic like Ganon. So, we decided to round up some of the biggest and most thought-provoking fan theories we’ve found so far.

The long-awaited title to the game we've been calling The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 hints at some fascinating timeline possibilities.

Remember the dragons or serpents in the Tears of the Kingdom logo? Then again, perhaps the “tear” in Tears of the Kingdom is less metaphysical and instead refers to the floating islands in the sky. If the next Zelda game is set to upend the already wild nature of the infamous Zelda timeline…well, we can certainly understand why they’d go to such lengths to keep that a secret. Maybe Tears of the Kingdom is a “sequel” in the sense that it was developed after Breath of the Wild, but perhaps the games aren’t actually connected chronologically. In The Legend of Zelda’s case, those “tears of the kingdom” could certainly be related to physical items, but that title may also refer to rips in the fabric of space and time. As a result, Tears of the Kingdom has a very Skyward Sword look to it, with an emphasis on verticality and platforming. These could be the titular “tears of the kingdom,” and it’s certainly possible that your main goal in the game could be to collect them. For instance, who is the mummified man in the announcement trailer back when the game was still referred to as Breath of the Wild 2? Much of the Tears of the Kingdom trailer centers around that aforementioned mural, which is mostly obscured in shadow. Still, Skyward Sword is the [earliest game](https://www.denofgeek.com/games/legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-link-romance-story-history-explained/) in the Zelda timeline, so you could take that to mean that the concept of tears has technically been in the franchise’s lore since its known beginning. After all, that name (and a few of the trailer’s most fascinating details) strongly suggest that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom don’t just take place at the end of The release of every new Legend of Zelda game is a cause for celebration, but the wait for Breath of the Wild‘s sequel has been especially difficult.

The subreddit saw no other activity until today, when fans eager to discuss the new Zelda game stumbled across it in Reddit's search results. One of the ...

[kusoge](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kusoge) (opens in new tab),' or 'shitty games,' among Japanese players, and though it was released in North America on the NES, it's certainly not so well-known among Western players. A single ' [lounge](https://www.reddit.com/r/tearsofthekingdom/comments/x60xpt/rtearsofthekingdom_lounge/) (opens in new tab)' post, common in new Reddit forums, was created on the same day, labeled as a "place for members of r/tearsofthekingdom to chat with each other." [milonssecretcastle](https://www.reddit.com/user/milonssecretcastle) (opens in new tab). The milonssecretcastle account was created six months ago - long before the subreddit was created - but it has no post history. [bruh](https://www.reddit.com/r/tearsofthekingdom/comments/xd9iob/bruh/) (opens in new tab)," sums up the sentiment. Milon's Secret Castle is one of the Famicom's most famous examples of '

We also got a look at a gorgeous new gameplay trailer which showed Link doing a bunch of new tasks in the air that weren't possible in the previous game.

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: In addition to the vast lands of Hyrule, the latest entry in the storied Legend of Zelda series will take you up into the skies and an expanded world that goes beyond that! Look forward to Link’s massive adventure starting again when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, drops for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.” [Nintendo Direct](https://press-start.com.au/tag/nintendo-direct/) announcement for Breath of the Wild 2 which is officially titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the game is officially releasing on May 12th, 2023.

After three years of little more than crumbs to go off, Nintendo has finally begun to pull the covers off its mammoth sequel to Breath of the Wild.

There have only been a new trailers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom so far. Previously, only a handful of trailers for the game had been released. Being the sequel to Breath of the Wild means you can already start to imagine what Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will play like. It feels so strange to say that we have a release date for The Game Formerly Known As Breath of the Wild 2. Following the colossal, franchise-redefining success of Breath of the Wild, the idea that Nintendo would create a sequel was all but a forgone conclusion. After three years of little more than crumbs to go off, Nintendo has finally begun to pull the covers off its mammoth sequel to Breath of the Wild.

From the looks of the brief teaser, the new game builds on Breath of the Wild's gameplay, which saw sword and shield-toting silent protagonist Link scaling ...

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The Zonai have become something of a meme among Zelda lore enthusiasts. Since the group is so vaguely defined in Breath of the Wild, it's easy to map them onto ...

[a year ago](https://www.ign.com/articles/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-2-official-title-secret) (opens in new tab) that it was holding back the title reveal for fear of spoiling too much. As Reddit user [PartEmbarrassed5406](https://www.reddit.com/r/Breath_of_the_Wild/comments/xd9h6i/zelda_tears_of_the_kingdom_is_the_name_for_botw_2/io9j0df/?context=3) (opens in new tab) puts it, "this trailer really screams Zonai to me." The Zonai Ouroboros also appears on the big door Link opens as he starts to explore the sky areas in the trailer, suggesting that the Zonai may have fled Hyrule to build a new kingdom in the clouds. [look exactly like](https://www.reddit.com/r/botw/comments/xdawir/zonai_in_the_trailer/) (opens in new tab) the Zonai dragon statues in Breath of the Wild. The Zonai have become something of a meme among Zelda lore enthusiasts. If you just play Zelda games and don't spend your time trawling forums for lore discussions, there's a decent chance you don't know who the Zonai are, and that's okay, because there's not actually that much to say.

Nintendo reveals the 'Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' sequel's name is 'Tears of the Kingdom.' The long-awaited 'Legend of Zelda' installment comes out ...

(Are those floating islands in the trailer the tears of the kingdom?) There are plenty of Skyward Sword influences here, though hopefully a much better control system, as well as art from an ancient (crying?) kingdom that recalls Twilight Princess. The sequel, which is also for the Switch, builds upon the open-world format of the original series and adds a bunch of gameplay that takes place in the sky above Hyrule. [2017 masterpiece The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild](https://www.vulture.com/2017/12/10-best-video-games-2017.html) and given it a name: Tears of the Kingdom.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom pre-orders have begun, and our guide will show the best and cheapest way to get your copy.

[365games](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=5778&awinaffid=103504&clickref=grd-gb-1414575401419330600&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.365games.co.uk%2Fnintendo-switch-games%2Fthe-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-2-nintendo-switch-game) (opens in new tab) [Base](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=2694&awinaffid=103504&clickref=grd-gb-1025794483208202500&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.base.com%2Fbuy%2Fproduct%2Fthe-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-nintendo-switch%2Fdgc-zeldabow2ns.htm) (opens in new tab) However, that's often the best place to start. [ShopTo](https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=2943&awinaffid=103504&clickref=grd-gb-1548560317101675500&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shopto.net%2Fen%2Fswze07-the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-2-p1139969%2F) (opens in new tab) Little is truly known about the plot of the game, but as we speculate in our [early guide](https://www.gamesradar.com/legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-guide/), it seems that the desiccated corpse of Ganon has arisen from under Hyrule Castle, and the tendrils of Malice are potentially starting to spread again... The retailer might still be using some placeholder art, but don't let that put you off, as the mega-retailer has its bona fide pre-order page up now and ready for your perusal. However, with only trailers and glimpses to actually work with, the community is still deep in investigation mode, trying to work out what might actually be going on. There's no word on any UK extras or pre-order bonuses though so it remains only a simple straightforward standard edition (we think) right now. Pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the UK [Best Buy](https://shop-links.co/link?publisher_slug=future&exclusive=1&u1=grd-gb-8336531001476681000&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fthe-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-nintendo-switch%2F6464080.p%3FskuId%3D6464080&article_name=The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20the%20Kingdom%20pre-order%20guide&article_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamesradar.com%2Fpre-order-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom%2F%2Fpre-order-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom) (opens in new tab) Even though it was only announced during the recent Nintendo Direct on September 13, pre-order options and listings have started popping up already. Pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the US

Firstly, Death Mountain appears to be chock full of Malice now. You might remember Malice as the tar-like substance from Breath of the Wild, which hurt Link ...

Could it be that this fan theory is accurate, and Calamity Ganon ends up ascending from underneath Hyrule Castle, causing it to rise up into the air? Thankfully, there's not long until we find out what really is going on with Calamity Ganon, Hyrule Castle, and Death Mountain. Buried in the new trailer, though, as one Reddit user has pinpointed below, was a brief display of Hyrule Castle and Death Mountain, both looking decidedly different from in Breath of the Wild.

"Those subtitles… they start to give little bits of hints about maybe what's going to happen," Nintendo Treehouse's Bill Trinen said at the time. "We're still ...

[Nintendo said it couldn't reveal the sequel's full name](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-sequel-name-is-being-kept-secret-for-a-very-good-reason/) for fear of giving away too much of the game. Now though, with the name of the sequel revealed, Breath of the Wild fans are confessing they're none the wiser. A new trailer showed Link diving headlong through clouds, before a release date of May 12, 2023 was finally announced for the eagerly-anticipated sequel.

Pop on your tinfoil hat, and start discerning Nintendo's messages in the Breath of the Wild sequel trailer.

Twitter user and pixel artist Kaimatten somehow generated this work of art, based on the game’s cover art, just a few hours later: A lot of people are assuming the title says “Tears” as in crying, but what if it’s “Tears” as in rips in reality? The most popular theory online is that this is to contain those tears, the kingdom ones. At this point it’s basically a Rorschach test that says more about the poster than the conceit. (Imagine your own Charlie in Always Sunny gif here.) Here’s a mighty fine one from Reddit user WhatWasThatHowl, which purports to prove multiple crossovers with Twilight Princess, especially the existence of And in an earlier Tears of the Kingdom trailer, Zelda suggests the timelines are being combined. [Zelda timelines](https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Zelda_Timeline), a migraine is never far away. Here are some of our favorite fan-theories from yesterday’s new trailer, along with the name reveal, Tears of the Kingdom. So, the poster above speculates that since this new trailer is now showing off the same ancient ruins and connecting them to the Twili from Twilight Princess, then it follows that the Zonai are descended from them. It’s worth knowing that the first Breath of the Wild heavily featured ruins from a prehistoric tribe called the Zonai, though the game never really explained any of it. Here’s the trailer, absolutely packed with little details, glyphs and other fan-baiting detritus, for you to forensically dissect. But it’s always fascinating to look over them, hoping to spot the nugget of truth, and the odd few concocted with eagle eyes.

The title of the sequel to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" was revealed at the end of the Sept. 13, 2022 Nintendo Direct broadcast.

Twitter [user @anime_zelda suggested](https://twitter.com/anime_zelda/status/1569860023190261762?s=46&t=-MwefP2h1grtmJOnHoxCbA) the meaning could be both at the same time, that the tears of the kingdom could come from the disappearance of Zelda, as seen in the first trailer, which leads to the physical tearing apart of Hyrule. ["Tears of the Kingdom" trailer](https://www.svg.com/1005712/its-time-to-talk-about-that-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-trailer/) did not have a voiceover, though, leaving [fans to speculate wildly](https://twitter.com/DavidRussell323/status/1569820945107361792) on what the title of the new "Zelda" game's name could mean. In many "Zelda" games, Tears are used as a symbol of power or light, like the [Tears of Light in "Twilight Princess." While the trailer has certainly stirred up the "Zelda" fanbase, some details that [have fans questioning the new game](https://twitter.com/JakeBaldino/status/1569705232346521602) – in particular, how to pronounce the first word of the title, and what that could mean for the game. The title of the sequel to "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" was revealed at the end of the Sept. The resulting discourse has fans debating the future of "Zelda."

Although brief, the trailer offers a look at some new gameplay footage, showcasing several new powers Link will be able to wield in the upcoming game. You can ...

"When we released the DLC for Breath of the Wild, we realized that this is a great way to add more elements to the same world," Aonuma said. "We previously announced that we were aiming for a 2022 release for this game. The game will launch for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.